Gen X---The Thirty-Something Thread

[JulieM]

Also, all of the "Home Alone" movies. The first two are the best with Macauly Caulkin. And, "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles." If you haven't seen that one it is hilarious!!!

[bac]

Happy Birthday Dimber!

I hope you are doing something special today to celebrate.

Question: As a kid, birthdays are incredibly important and we make a big deal out of them, parties, presents, cake, balloons, etc. What do you guys do now that you are in your thirties to celebrate?

[una]

Happy Birthday Dimber!!!!

Question: As a kid, birthdays are incredibly important and we make a big deal out of them, parties, presents, cake, balloons, etc. What do you guys do now that you are in your thirties to celebrate?

Seriously my birthday doesn't mean that much to me, it's just a day. However, it's special to my hubby. We like to get away and spend at least the day (or a long weekend) together, just the two of us.

[cullengirl]

Happy Birthday, Dimber!

Re: question -- My family is not big on birthdays. We usually just either go out to eat or do carry out. I haven't had a "birthday party" per se since I was a toddler. Even then I think we did more for my baby brother than any of the rest of my siblings.

[dimber]

Thank you all for the wishes!!! As you might have realised I was out of town. I'm spending the summer with my family in the south of Italy and helping my mum with all the stuff regarding my wedding.
I'm back for a few days before leaving again until the marriage.

Birthdays...I didn't like birthdays very much when I was a child because I was born in August when everybody in Italy is on holidays. I started to like them in my teens because I used to spend my summer with my best friend so, at least, I had a friend with me
My last birthday, just a few days ago, has been marvellous because I celebrated it with a couple of very old friends in a very simple way: a good pint, some nice food and then all on the road, chit-chatting and laughing like when we were 17. They made me forget I'm 30 and getting old now

[una]

Birthdays...I didn't like birthdays very much when I was a child because I was born in August when everybody in Italy is on holidays.

I'm so with you! My birthday is August 7th and the same thing, send out 20 invitations and three show up!

Hope all the wedding stuff Dimber is going well and not too stressful!!

[dimber]

Una we should choose a fake date to celebrate our birthdays...I guess we could choose a random age too, like 19 or 25 forever

The real problem with the wedding stuff is family...well, mum and mother-in-law anyway. It's like they are going to get married so they always give opinions that are not required, about the hair style, the table cloths for the reception, the menu...sometimes I just say "whatever you want" just to keep them silent and have some peace Almost everything is settled now, though, and I really hope the day will be a blast

[una]

Una we should choose a fake date to celebrate our birthdays...I guess we could choose a random age too, like 19 or 25 forever

That sounds like a fabulous idea! I could even be so bold to pick 28 forever. Oooh, that'd be good since most people pick 29!

The real problem with the wedding stuff is family...well, mum and mother-in-law anyway. It's like they are going to get married so they always give opinions that are not required, about the hair style, the table cloths for the reception, the menu...sometimes I just say "whatever you want" just to keep them silent and have some peace

Exactly why I wished you well. I had the same problem, except it was JUST my own mother. My MIL was so easy going and offered to just help and do anything. There were some heated arguments between my mother and I - my father tried to get my mother to understand that this was NOT her wedding (I was cursed, the only girl AND the youngest...I was toast). But the day went beautifully and I did get the last word. After the honeymoon, we were going over the wedding pictures, everyone figuring out what they wanted to order. My mom wanted to take them to show them off to her coworkers the following week. My hubby and I needed to take them with us that weekend to leave with Jeff's parents so his family - parents and his Aunts and Uncles (at the time, his parents lived in a different city) could pick what they wanted and then return them to us the following week. My mother said, "I need MY wedding pictures to show next week to my friends." I replied, "First, it was MY wedding and you need to share with MY in-laws. They should get to see them before ANYONE'S coworkers, including MINE since it was MY wedding!" You have no idea how good that felt!

[twilightmom]

Una we should choose a fake date to celebrate our birthdays...I guess we could choose a random age too, like 19 or 25 forever

See, I'd pick like 33 or even 35... I guess that's because I'm already a bit older than those ages!

[skylarblue]

Personally, it doesn't matter to me what age you pick to keep celebrating a birthday. I'm just happy to have another day to be with my family and those that I love.

God, seeing that I'm almost near the big 40 mark, I can't believe it. At times I feel like I'm so much older yet there are times I feel that I could still be in my late 20's or early 30's. It's just a number and I don't even celebrate my birthday anymore.

From what I've seen, we all have had things happen to us that we didn't expect and couldn't ever think of happening. There are some of us (myself included) that feel we will spend our lifetime alone but who knows what is around the corner.

So, now that I have my 38th Bday here, we just need to live our lives and work with what we got. I've gotten to the point where I have looked passed age and just try to be who I am, no matter my age.

I think we tend to focus on age so much and how we are expected to act, that we forget who we are underneath (wow, that totally sounded like a Carrie Bradshaw moment) and if we feel like we are 25 and not 35, why not embrace it but I do like that we have the wisdom yet can be carefree.